Rugby, Banff v Canucks July 28, 2018

Banff Bears' Duncan Thorburn runs between two would-be tacklers during a Calgary Rugby Union Div. 3 clash against the Calgary Canucks. The Bears took down the Canucks 26-22 in Calgary on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Russ Ullyot/Bow Valley Crag & Canyon/Postmedia Network)

Banff Bears' Liam Leung breaks through during a Calgary Rugby Union Div. 3 clash against the Calgary Canucks. The Bears took down the Canucks 26-22 in Calgary on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Russ Ullyot/Bow Valley Crag & Canyon/Postmedia Network)

Banff Bears' Matt Soukas breaks a tackle during a Calgary Rugby Union Div. 3 clash against the Calgary Canucks. The Bears took down the Canucks 26-22 in Calgary on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Russ Ullyot/Bow Valley Crag & Canyon/Postmedia Network)

Banff Bears' Liam Leung heads to the goal line with the winning score during a Calgary Rugby Union Div. 3 clash against the Calgary Canucks. The Bears took down the Canucks 26-22 in Calgary on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Russ Ullyot/Bow Valley Crag & Canyon/Postmedia Network)

Banff Bears' Alex Schultz grabs hold of the ball during a Calgary Rugby Union Div. 3 clash against the Calgary Canucks. The Bears took down the Canucks 26-22 in Calgary on Saturday, July 28, 2018. (Russ Ullyot/Bow Valley Crag & Canyon/Postmedia Network)

The Banff Bears were quick to the fight but needed a determined finish to outlast the Calgary Canucks 26-22 in a Calgary Rugby Union Div. 3 game on Saturday.

Liam Leung scored twice, including the game-winning try, for the Bears, with Ryan Tenenbaum and Frank Dwyer also scoring. Eliot Smith was 3-for-4 with his conversions which stood as the difference in this tightly contested test.

The Canucks also scored four trys but Ian Jensen was just 1-for-4 on converts, which ended up being the difference in the end. Try scorers were Luke Dementer, with two, Brian Muscat and Jensen.

BRC player-coach Mark Hooper said it was good test as the Bears improved to 6-1 on the season. The team has 25 points and are in fourth place. The only loss this season is a forfeit in the opening weekend after being unable to register enough players for its first game.

“(The Canucks) are always one of the stronger teams out the Southern Alberta third division, so we knew it was going to be a test,” said Hooper. “To go a couple of trys up to start with, we knew it wasn’t going to be the be all and end all. … You have to credit the Canucks for coming back into and getting a few trys.

“Thankfully, we had a chance at the end and it paid off for us.”

The Canucks are 6-3 on the season and still hold onto first place with 33 points.

“We expected a good battle from those guys and that was good,” said Canucks player-coach Darcy Gallant.

“I thought it was physical, it was contested, and there was a lot more points that caught everyone by surprise.”

The Bears looked like they would have their way with the Canucks after scoring twice in the first five minutes of this contest during the heat of the day at Calgary Rugby Union Park.

The Bears stole the ball out the first scrum of the day, and when it was pitched to Leung he would scamper 40 yards before being tackled at the goal line. Dwyer would pick up the ball and dive across the line. Smith would convert to make it 7-0.

On the restart, Rada would grab the ball at midfield and run it all the way without anyone laying a hand on him. Smith’s convert made it 14-0.

The Canucks would rebound with trys, converting just one though to take a 17-14 lead at the break.

After the restart, the Canucks extended their lead. However, another missed convert would make the score 22-14.

The Bears found their way back into the end zone in the late stages. Tenenbaum would ramble down the left wing and over the goal line after the Bears ripped the ball away during a ruck. Smith was unable to convert from wide making it a 22-19 game with 15 minutes to play.

Then with eight minutes left, Leung would catch a pass from Adrian McBain just inside the Canucks’ zone at midfield, then tore through the middle, outracing his pursuers to touch the ball down between the posts. Smith would convert.

“I was calling for that ball. It took him five times to hear me but he got it to me in the end,” said Leung. “I was scoring no matter what. We needed that try.”

The Bears then choose to boot the ball downfield after the restart, and a swarming defence kept the Canucks pinned deep until the final whistle.

BEARS DEN: The Banff Rugby Club is off next weekend but return to Calgary Rugby Union Park on Aug. 11 to take on the Calgary Hornets (1-8). The game begins at noon. … Lethbridge RFC (6-1) holds onto second spot in Div. 3 at 32 points with Calgary Rams/Saints (5-2) third at 26 points.